We've known for a few weeks that the (nearly) original Van Halen will make a swing through Southern California in late spring behind A Different Kind of Truth, their first album with quintessential VH vocalist David Lee Roth since 1984.

Now we know how much it will cost to see 'em: $29-$149.50, before service charges.

The Hall of Famers, whose other members are all namesakes -- Alex, Eddie and his son Wolfgang, seemingly a permanent replacement for bassist Michael Anthony at this point -- will play June 1 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, after which they head north for shows in Oakland (June 3) and San Jose (June 5), then head to Orange County for a June 12 stop at Honda Center.

You also can catch them June 14 at Valley View Casino Center (formerly San Diego Sports Arena) or get a jump on the whole run by heading to MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 27. Anyone else notice the considerable gaps all around these dates? Plenty of space for additional shows.

Kool & the Gang -- no, really ... Kool & the Gang -- will open. Tickets go on sale Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. The aforementioned prices apply to all shows, though the San Diego gig doesn't appear to offer any in the $29.50 range.

For those wondering how they sound these days, see first single "Tattoo," above, a revamp of the song "Down in Flames," which the group played on its '78 world tour. It's the first Roth-led tune in their catalog since the genuine Van Halen cut two quickly forgotten tracks for a 1996 best-of.

• Come March, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are embarking on a swing of dates stretching from Tuscon to Tulsa, Denver to Salt Lake City. But before they do, they'll warm up with a March 14 show at the Observatory, the former Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana. Tickets, $25, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Also added at that venue: promoter Dubtroit will celebrate its third anniversary with a Feb. 28 show featuring 12th Planet, $20, on sale now ... and Burger Records, a nondescript but oh-so-stocked shop not far from Cal State Fullerton, will stage Burgerama there on March 24, with sets from hardcore punk supergroup OFF!, the Strange Boys, White Fence and more to be added, plus surprise guests. That event will utilize both stages, the main showroom and the smaller Constellation Room, and include an outdoor BBQ. Early-bird tickets, $15, are on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Oh, and speaking of the CR, there's another new one in that spot as well: Nick Waterhouse, Feb. 16, $10.

Update, Jan. 25: But wait, there's more ... at the Observatory: rapper Tyga, March 28, $28; and local blues-guitar whiz Walter Trout, April 27, $15. At the Constellation Room: singer-songwriter Kevin Devine, with the Front Bottoms, March 22, $10; and Denver husband/wife duo Tennis, May 1, $12.

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